Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-19
INrER.srArE oommERoE.

Travelling CombinatfOns-How the Law Affects New Haven Wholesale Coal Trade.
 The interstate commerce law is kicking 1 up great excitement among the actors of | the country. It bears with great severity | upon the profession as regards the transpor- l tation of travelling companies and comblna- | tions, acting practically a veto on the moving of companies for any distance, owing | to the great expense under the new law. The 1 appended petition to the inter State com merce commission for redress appeals most l strongly and justly as will plainly be seen, l for an alteration of the law in this respect. | 1.-The effects of the law are now beginning to
 be seen in different branches of business all l over the country" said prominent New
 Haven man yesterday, 'in some cases bene-
 fitting, in others proving almost disastrous,
 according as it happens to strike. The whole
 sale coal merchants in some sections of the
 country are beginning to think that the law, l as far as it affects them, could
 not have been more lilly devised, and
 have not only been sitting up nights to ad- just their business to the new tariffs of rates,
 but are finding that their business in some
 quarters is being seriously damaged.
 The law works as gratuitous bonanza to some and to others it is detrimental. It will
 evidently take good deal of adjusting to
 fix the bill so as to make it work justly and
 equitably."
 Said a prominent New Haven coal dealer:
 "In our line of business it is throwing busi-
 ness in some quarters of the country right | into the hands of dealers who before could
 not compete, and has just the contrary effect
 upon dealers who before had plain sailing for
 fair profits"
 The petition below given has received the signatures of very large number of our
 leading and influential citizens:
 To the interstate commerce commission, I Washington, D. c.
 ! The undersiQned. your petitiODers. who
 are personally and vitally affected by the operation of the interstate commerce law, as construed by the railroads since the 31st
 of March last, respectfully ask of your hon. l orable body:-
 l CD. That the provisions of said law as { applied to the amusement profession be sus- | pended for period of ninety days, and that the railroad companies be permitted to make | the same special rates as heretofore extended | to our professionalism the reason, that all I existing contracts between travelling com panies and local managers were entered into long before the passage of the inter State | commerce bill, and were based upon condi- tions then existing as to expense of travelling etc, and it is an injustice to your petitioners that they should be compelled to carry out said contracts so entered into when the item of transportation Gone of the most impor tant expenses connected with their business)
 has been practically doubled, without the possibility of their deriving any additional | railroad rates now existing as compared with those prevailing prior to the first of April, would render the fulfllment of said con tracts absolutely impossible, except at great loss to travelling organizations.
 (2) We respectfully petition your com mission to so interpret the interstate com merce law as to permit railroad companies to grant, as heretofore, reduced rates for fare and baggage to travelling amusement organi- zations, based upon the number of persons in the company, the distance travelled, amount of baggage carried, etc., not intending there by that any discrimination shall be made in favor of our profession, but that other or ganized bodies travelling on one ticket from place to place, under substantially similar circumstances and conditions, shall be grant ed the same benefit of publicly advertised rate. In other words, that the railroads be authoritatively permitted to recognize the common sense principles underlying all bus mess affairs, and to grant proper concessions to what might be termed the wholesale trade.
 For the information of your commission we will briefly state that it has been custom ary heretofore for railroad companies to grant very material reductions in rates to the amusement profession, averaging from 25 to 50 per cent. of, depending the size of the ! company, and also to increase very material | ly the allowance of baggage, averaging at l least two hundred and fifty pounds per per son, with concessions of carloads of scenery, etc. We simply ask your honorable commis- | sion to so interpret the law that the railroad companies may make such reduced rates as they see fit, for parties of not less than ten persons, travelling together on one ticket to the same destination, and we will trust to railroad companies to do us the justice which is now denied through their arbitrary construction of the interstate commerce law in placing the people who travel continually, on an average ten months in the year, in organized bodies, on the same plane with individual travellers who may not make more than one trip in each year.
 In order to show your commission the i'm porrance of the interests so vitally affected by this practical doubling of the railroad fares by the inter State commerce law, few facts and figures are appended, which un- derstate rather than exaggerate the true con- ditions
 There are about five hundred organized combinations constantly travelling (including circuses), which employ in the aggregate up- wards of ten thousand adults. There are upwards of three thousand five hundred theaters, opera houses and places of amuse- ment in the United States, giving employ ment to about 40, ,000 persons. These local amusement places could not exist, t,nor any re- turn on the immense capital therein be had, except through the cooperation of the 500 travelling combinations playing engagements throughout the year in the respective houses. There aye at least 25, ,000 persons employed in collateral branches mainly dependent upon the 'show business" so called, such as printers, costumers, bill posters, scene painters, manu- lecturers of theatrical wares and merchandise generally. It is a reasonable assumption that there are quarter of & million people who are dependent for their support upon the labors of the 75, GOO adults above men tioned as being employed in the amusement profession.
 The capital employed by the travelling organizations is upwards of $5,0O0. .O0O, the capital invested in collateral trades and pro- fessions is probably $5,000, ,000, and the cap ital represented in the $500 opera houses, theaters, etc., is at least $150, ,00O, 900. (The capital thus invested in the four cities of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago alone is $25, 100000 All this capital, and this army of working people, are jeop- ardized by the construction placed upon the | interstate commerce law by the railroad | companies.
 It is estimated that the amount of money 1 paid by the amusement companies annually l to the railroad companies is upwards of $2,- 500, 900. Under the interstate commerce. law this amount would be increased by at least $2, ,OOO, 900 provided the same number of persons travelled as heretofore, with the same amount of baggage, scenery, etc., This increased expense represents far more than the aggregate profit Of all the travellng amusement enterprises combined.
 Under the operation of the new law none but the very highest or the lowest class of companies can exist. There would be no in- termediate class. A small company playing engagements of 8 week in small towns, car rying few people and no scenery and making short trips, will not be affected very seriously
 by the operation of the law. But the regular theatrical or operatic organizations, consist ing of from fifteen to fifty people, carrying a large amount of baggage and scenery for the proper production of plays, operas, etc., can- not exist and meet expenses under the opera tion of the new law. It simply means anni- hiIation for this class.
 We respectfully represent to your honora- ble body that it is no discrimination between persons or service of similar character to transport amusement companies, travelling almost continually, at lower rate than the tariff of the railroads, such reduction to be based upon the number of persons in the company, and to carry with it 8 reasonable extra baggage allowance as in former years, and the right to continuous passage over one railroad or system of railroads without refer ence to State boundaries.
 In brief, we trust your sense of justice to